Broncos, John Fox have no clarity on odd sack call vs. Raiders

[/media-credit] This screen grab shows the ball is out of Carson Palmer’s hand as he is taken to the ground by Broncos cornerback Chris Harris. The play was ruled on the field as a sack, not intentional grounding or a fumble.

DOVE VALLEY — Broncos cornerback got credit for the first full sack of his career in Sunday’s win over Oakland.

But should the play have been scored that way?

Probably not.

Harris came free on a corner blitz and hit Oakland Carson Palmer as the quarterback’s arm was going forward. The ball went forward several yards, but nowhere in the vicinity of an eligible receiver.

An official even signaled for an incomplete pass.

Therefore, shouldn’t the play have been ruled as intentional grounding?

Or …

If, the officials were intent on ruling the play as a sack, wouldn’t it have been a fumble? The whistle blew, afterwhich Robert Ayers picked up the loose ball.

Broncos coach John Fox, wary of criticizing the officials in the wake of his $30,000 fine, didn’t want to comment specifically on the call, but it is clear the coach thought the ruling was wrong.

“It was a tough play to officiate, and I think they kind of did the best thing to get out of it,” Fox said.

When several reporters chimed in to say, well, it should have been intentional grounding, Fox said: